Current Affairs – January 22, 2026

{GS2 – MoP} Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 **

• Context (TH): The Ministry of Power released the Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 for public consultation.

• Policy Replacement: It proposes replacing the National Electricity Policy, 2005, to align the power sector with Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
• Climate Transition: NEP 2026 aims to transform India from a power-deficient nation into a Net Zero–compliant economy by 2070 through:
  • Per Capita Consumption: 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047.
  • Non-Fossil Fuel: 500 GW generation capacity by 2030.
  • Emission Intensity: 45% reduction below 2005 levels by 2030.
  • Nuclear Power: 100 GW generation capacity by 2047.
  • Efficiency: Single-digit Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses across states.

Key Features of Draft NEP 2026

• Tariff Reform: State regulators must implement automatic annual tariff revisions to restore the financial viability of DISCOMS.
  • Tariffs will be revised automatically through indexation if states delay issuing tariff orders.
• Cross Subsidy: The policy proposes a progressive reduction in cross-subsidies for manufacturing and railways to improve competitiveness.
• USO Exemption: Regulators may exempt DISCOMs from Universal Service Obligation (USO) for consumers with connected loads of 1 MW and above.
  • USO mandates Discoms to supply electricity to any consumer on request within the licensed area.
• Resource Adequacy: Mandatory 24×7 power planning introduced at the national, state, and utility levels to prevent shortages.
• Market Structure: Competition encouraged by permitting multiple distribution licensees in the same supply area.
• Local Management: Distribution System Operators (DSOs) will manage rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and other distributed resources.
• Energy Storage: Energy Storage Systems, including BESS and pumped storage, are recognised as critical grid infrastructure.
• Data Sovereignty: All operational data in the power sector must be stored domestically to ensure system security.
• Grid Governance: State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) will be functionally unbundled from State Transmission Utilities.
• Consumer Rights: The draft recognises Prosumers (producers + consumers) and mandates penalties on distribution licensees for gratuitous load-shedding.

Read More> India’s Power Sector

{GS2 – Social Sector} Citizen-Centric Universal Health Coverage in India

• Context (TH): The Lancet Commission of experts called for a citizen-centred healthcare delivery system in India as the main vehicle for Universal Health Coverage.

Need for Citizen-Centric Health Coverage in India

• High OOP Pressure: Out-of-pocket spending is still ~47–50% of total health expenditure.
• Low Public Spending: Public health expenditure remains below 2% of GDP, far below the National Health Policy target of 2.5% of GDP.
• Rising NCD Load: Non-communicable diseases account for ~60% of deaths in India, requiring continuous primary care and prevention.
• Disease Burden: India has ~140 million elderly (60+), increasing demand for long-term care.

Challenges Faced

• Human Resource Shortage: Many states face 20–30% vacancies in specialist and medical officer positions at public facilities, which hinders quality and continuity.
• High Catastrophic Spending: Approximately 14–17% of households face catastrophic health expenditures (various estimates), indicating weak financial protection.
• Fragmented Care System: India has ~70% outpatient care largely in the private sector, causing discontinuity, duplication of tests and variable standards.
• Poor Preventive Focus: Screening and early diagnosis remain low; diabetes and hypertension often remain underdiagnosed for years, increasing complications load.

Key Recommendations by the Lancet Commission

Citizen-Centric Integrated Care

• Citizen-Centric Care: Shift from top-down public health planning to include people’s priorities, lived experiences and feedback in decisions. E.g. Kerala’s People’s Plan model for local health governance.
• Public Primary Vehicle: Make publicly financed and publicly provided care the main backbone for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). E.g. Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
• AYUSH Integration: Empower practitioners of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) within integrated care teams for preventive coverage.

Workforce & Frontline Empowerment

• Competency Focus: Move beyond formal qualifications to evaluate provider competencies, values, motivations and ethical conduct in real service delivery.
• Frontline Empowerment: Strengthen autonomy, training and decision-support for frontline workers to improve last-mile continuity. E.g., Tamil Nadu’s Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam (doorstep care)

Digital Technology-Led Reform

• Digital Integration: Use digital platforms to link registered providers with payers and patients for seamless, integrated care delivery pathways. E.g. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with ABHA IDs.
• Point-of-Need Delivery: Deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI), genomics and capital-efficient innovations for advanced diagnostics at primary/community levels.

Governance & Financing Reforms

• Fund Flow Efficiency: Digitise fund flow, simplify procedures and reduce bureaucratic hurdles to improve utilisation and timely service delivery.
• Outcome-Based Financing: Shift from line-item budgets to global budgets with evaluation based on health outcomes, building accountability and trust.

{GS2 – IR} Strained Rules-Based Order

• Context (TOI): At the WEF, Davos, Canadian PM said the post-WWII “rules-based order” has been a partial fiction, where strong states exempt themselves, and the world is in a “rupture, not a transition.

Why are Rules-Based Orders Under Strain?

• Selective Rules: Trade rules enforced asymmetrically; international law applied with varying rigour. E.g., selective sanctions/condemnation patterns in the Iraq War vs Gaza/Ukraine debates.
• Hegemony Bargain: The West tolerated gaps between rhetoric and reality because US power supplied public goods. E.g., US Navy-backed sea-lane security & US dollar-based global financial stability.
• Weaponised Interdependence: Integration now becomes coercion, tariffs as leverage, finance as pressure, supply chains as vulnerabilities. E.g., Trump-era tariff threats on allies.
• Alliance Anxiety: Greenland episode and pressure tactics show alliance norms can be overridden. E.g., Trump’s revived Greenland control push is unsettling NATO partners and alliance trust.

Global Implications

• Shift from Rules to Power: Norms matter less when great powers treat rules as optional in strategic competition. E.g., Russia–Ukraine war shifting focus from UN norms to battlefield realities.
• Fragmented Multilateralism: Large institutions struggle to deliver, so outcomes shift to smaller coalitions and blocs. E.g., stalled WTO dispute settlement and rise of multilaterals like IPEF & QUAD.
• Transactional Alliances: Partnerships become conditional and deal-based rather than values-based.

Implications for India

• Strategic Autonomy Test: India will face higher pressure to “choose sides” as US–China competition expands into tech, trade and finance.
• Trade Weaponisation Risk: Tariffs, sanctions and export controls can hit India even without direct conflict, affecting overall growth and jobs.
• Normative Space Opening: As credibility of rules weakens, India can push fairer representation & rule reform, especially for Global South priorities.

{GS3 – IE} World Enters Era of ‘Global Water Bankruptcy’

• Context (NDTV | DTE): The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) report warns that the world has entered a state of “global water bankruptcy”.

Key Findings of the Report

• Human Toll: About 75% of humanity lives in water-insecure countries, while 4 billion people face water scarcity for 1 month each year.
• Groundwater Collapse: Nearly 70% of major aquifers are depleting, causing land subsidence across ~5% of the global land area.
• Food Security Risk: Over 50% of global food production is concentrated in regions with unstable or shrinking water storage.
• Vanishing Ecosystems: Around 410 million hectares of wetlands vanished over 50 years, eroding ecosystem services valued at $5.1 trillion.
• Glacial Loss: Since 1970, glaciers have lost over 30% of their mass, reducing natural freshwater storage.
• Day Zero Crisis: Cities like Tehran and parts of Turkey face sudden municipal water system failures.
• Regional Hotspots: The highest irreversible risks lie in the Middle East and North Africa, Central–South Asia, Southwest US–Northern Mexico, Southern Africa, and Australia regions.
• India’s Status: India is among the most critically affected countries, shifting from manageable water stress to a persistent hydrological deficit.

Key Recommendations of the Report

• New Water Agenda: Move away from “emergency fixes” (like deeper wells) towards the fundamental restructuring of water rights and claims.
• Reforming Agriculture: Transitioning away from water-intensive crops in arid regions and implementing a circular water economy with 100% wastewater reuse.
• Natural Capital: Protecting the remaining forests and wetlands as critical infrastructure rather than treating them as “free” land.
• Global Monitoring: Establishing a formal global framework to monitor “hydrological debt” and prevent total system collapse.

{GS3 – IS} Security Fences to Move Closer to Pakistan Border in Punjab **

• Context (IE): Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann stated that the Union government has tentatively agreed to shift the border security fence closer to the International Border.

• Farmland Access: The proposed realignment restores unhindered access to nearly 21,300 acres of fertile farmland along the Punjab-Pakistan border.

Regulated Farming Inside Border Fence

• Controlled Access: Farmers cross the fence only during fixed hours, using identity cards, under the supervision of Border Security Force (BSF) Kisan Guards.
• Fence Misalignment: In several stretches, the security fence lies 2-3 kilometres inside India, rather than the standard 150 metres from the Zero Line.
• Visibility Norms: Authorities ban tall crops like sugarcane or maize that exceed 3-4 feet in height to maintain clear visibility.
• Machinery Regulation: Farmers must pre-register and obtain approval to use heavy machinery, such as combine harvesters.
• Tractor Quotas: Border authorities cap the number of tractors allowed to cross the gates on specific, pre-designated weekdays.
  • Mandatory Escort: Every tractor entering fenced farmland must be accompanied by two BSF Kisan Guards at all times.

Governance Framework for Border Fencing in India

• Nodal Authority: The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees border fencing through the Department of Border Management.
• Executing Agencies: Construction is executed by CPWD, NBCC, or BRO, depending on terrain, altitude, and operational conditions.
• Guarding Forces: Fences are manned by BSF (Pakistan, Bangladesh), ITBP (China), SSB (Nepal, Bhutan), and Assam Rifles (Myanmar).
• Legal Authority: Border fencing powers derive from the Border Security Force Act, 1968, and executive orders under the Passport Act, 1920.
• Land Acquisition: The land required for fencing is acquired under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
• Policy Shift: Border management has shifted towards a Smart Wall approach, integrating physical fencing with the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS).

Read More> Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System | Frontiers of India

{GS3 – S&T} India’s First Private National Earth Observation Satellite *

• Context (BS): A consortium led by Pixxel signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to build India’s first private national Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation.

• The consortium, led by Pixxel, includes Indian startups Dhruva Space, PierSight, and SatSure.
• The constellation will consist of 12 satellites with very high-resolution optical, multispectral, hyperspectral, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging.
• It will deliver an end-to-end EO ecosystem spanning satellite deployment, ground infrastructure, data processing, and value-added intelligence services.
• Objective: To reduce India’s dependence on foreign geospatial data while marketing EO data globally.
• Operational Model: Under a public–private partnership, the consortium owns and operates the satellites, with the government having priority access to data.
• Significance: This marks a transition in Earth observation operations from government to industry.

Earth Observation Satellites

• EO satellites are spacecraft equipped with remote sensing technology to monitor Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems from space.
• Sensor Types: They use active sensors, which emit their own radiation, like radar or passive sensors, which detect reflected solar radiation or thermal emissions.
• Indian Milestones: The first experimental EOS was Bhaskara-I (1979), and IRS-1A (1988) was the first operational remote sensing satellite.
• Key Applications: Include agricultural monitoring, disaster management, environmental assessment, ocean studies, and high-resolution cartography.

{GS3 – S&T} Reusable Rockets for Sustainable Access to Space **

• Context (TH): Reusable rocket technology is transforming the commercial space sector, reducing launch expenses as the global space market is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2030.

About Reusable Rockets

• Reusable rockets are launch vehicles designed to return intact after missions, allowing the refurbishment and reuse of engines and avionics.
• Operational Shift: The approach shifts spaceflight from disposable launches to a transportation model comparable to commercial aviation.

Core Enabling Technologies

• Guidance Systems: GPS sensors and inertial measurement units guide rockets from orbital altitudes to precise landing pads or to ocean-based drone ships.
• Retro Propulsion: Engines reignite multiple times during descent to dissipate kinetic energy and slow vehicles from supersonic speeds.
• Aerodynamic Control: Deployable grid fins and active control surfaces manage the rocket’s trajectory during atmospheric descent.
• Thermal Protection: Silica tiles, phenolic impregnated carbon ablators (PICA), and heat-resistant steel alloys protect vehicles from the ~2000 °C atmospheric re-entry heat.
• Clean Propellants: Rocket designs increasingly use liquid oxygen and methane (Methalox) engines because these engines prevent “coking” (residue buildup) and simplify refurbishment.

Landing & Recovery Systems

• Vertical Landing: Pioneered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9, vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTVL) use engine thrust and landing legs to touch down upright.
• Mechanical Catch (Chopsticks): SpaceX’s Mechazilla launch tower uses large robotic arms to catch returning boosters midair.
• Horizontal Landing: Winged spaceplanes, such as India’s Pushpak RLV-TD, glide and land on a runway like a jet.
• In-Air Capture: A towing helicopter snags the parachute line of a descending booster to prevent it from crashing into the ocean.
• Parachute Splash-Down: Parachutes are used to slow crew capsules and smaller launch vehicles for controlled splashdowns in the ocean.

Significance of Reusable Rockets

• Economic Efficiency: Reusable technology lowers cost-to-orbit by recovering and reusing expensive components like engines and avionics.
• Strategic Capability: It enables a rapid launch cadence, allowing quick satellite deployment or replacement during emergencies or conflict scenarios.
• Environmental Sustainability: Recovering rocket stages reduces space debris accumulation and marine pollution from splashdowns.
• Downmass Capability: Unlike expendable rockets, reusable vehicles like Starship can return heavy cargo safely to Earth.
• Democratized Access: Lower seat costs enable universities, smaller nations, and private researchers to access space.

{GS3 – S&T} ECOFIX Pothole Repair Technology

• Context (PIB): Technology Development Board (TDB) signed a commercialisation agreement with a private partner for ECOFIX pothole repair technology.

• About: ECOFIX is a ready-to-use, all-weather pothole repair mix for rapid urban road maintenance.
• Composition: It uses processed steel slag with a specialised polymeric binder to enhance bonding.
• Advantage: Developed by the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, the mix is cheaper and more durable than conventional bituminous patchwork solutions.
• Application: Unlike bituminous mixes, ECOFIX can be applied directly into waterlogged potholes without dewatering or a tack coat.
• Fast Work: Repaired road sections can be opened to traffic within about 20 minutes.
• Emission Reduction: As a cold-mix technology, ECOFIX reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared with hot-mix methods.

About Steel Slag

• Steel slag is a non-metallic byproduct formed during steelmaking when impurities are separated using limestone and dolomite fluxes.
• Composition: It primarily contains calcium, silicon, magnesium, and iron oxides.
• Material Strength: Slag aggregates are harder and more durable than natural stones like limestone.
• Higher Density: Steel slag is generally denser (3.2-3.6 g/cc) than natural aggregates.
• Usage: Steel slag can be used as –
  • Reduce cement’s overall carbon footprint as a supplementary cementitious material
  • Treat acidic mine drainage and prevent heavy metal leaching
  • Neutralises acidic soils and supplies micronutrients such as silicon.
  • Fully replace natural aggregates, reducing road thickness and costs.

Read More> Steel Slag Road

{Prelims – A&C} 2^nd Global Buddhist Summit *

• Context (PIB): The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, will organise the 2^nd Global Buddhist Summit (GBS) in New Delhi.

• Its theme, “Collective Wisdom, United Voice, and Mutual Coexistence”, reinforces the relevance of Buddhist philosophy in social harmony and global dialogue.
• The summit will showcase NORBU (Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding), an AI model designed to engage youth with Buddhist teachings.
• Significance: The summit strengthens India’s cultural diplomacy by projecting India as the global hub of Buddha Dhamma.

About International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)

• The IBC is the largest global Buddhist umbrella organisation, headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• Establishment: It was conceived in 2011 and formally established in 2012 under the Ministry of Culture.
• Objective: Integrate Buddhist values into global discourse to address contemporary challenges.
• Membership: It comprises over 320 organisations across 39 countries.
• Structure: It is governed by a Council of Patrons, a Dhamma Council, and a General Assembly that elects office bearers every 3 years.
• Key Initiatives: It organised the 1^st Asian Buddhist Summit in 2024 and is developing the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) at Lumbini, Nepal.

{Prelims – Species} Darwin’s Bark Spider

• Context (TH): Scientists studied Darwin’s bark spider to identify conditions enabling the production of exceptionally tough silk.

• Darwin’s bark spider is an orb-weaver endemic to Madagascar that produces the toughest biological material and constructs the largest orb webs recorded.
• The species was named after Charles Darwin to mark the 150^th anniversary of The Origin of Species.
• Appearance: They are medium-sized spiders with mottled dark brown to black colouration and a hairy texture: females are larger and about 14 times heavier than males.
• Habitat: The species occurs exclusively in Madagascar’s riverine forests and wetlands.

Key Characteristics

• Crypsis: They mimic tree bark or twigs to remain hidden from predators during the day.
• Web Gigantism: They build large orb webs supported by long ‘bridge lines’ (up to 25 meters) to suspend webs across rivers and lakes.
• Silk Strength: Their silk is 10 times tougher than Kevlar and twice as tough as other spider silks.
  • Only adult females produce ultra-tough silk; males and juveniles produce weaker, standard silk.
• Unique Protein: Female silk contains proline-rich proteins that confer record-breaking toughness and spring-like elasticity.

{Prelims – S&T} First Commercial Space Station Haven-1 *

• Context (IT): Haven-1 is planned to be the world’s first commercial space station.

• It is a single-module station that will operate in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and will serve as a precursor to the larger multi-module station, Haven-2.
• It is being developed by the American aerospace company Vast, with support from NASA and private partners.
• Objective: To host short-duration missions and support microgravity research, in-space manufacturing, and orbital tourism.
• Launch: Haven-1 is expected to launch in 2027 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, initially uncrewed.
• Design: It follows a human-centric design, featuring a domed window and private crew quarters.
• Mission Duration: The station is built for a three-year orbital lifespan, with missions lasting 10–30 days.
• Significance: Haven-1 marks a structural shift from state-led space programmes to a commercially sustained space research ecosystem.

{Prelims – Disease} Fatty Liver Disease MASLD

• Context (TH): Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is emerging as a silent health threat in India.

• It was earlier termed Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) but renamed to allow diagnosis based on metabolic risk factors, not alcohol exclusion.
• It is characterised by hepatic steatosis (over 5% fat in the liver) and at least one cardiometabolic risk factor (e.g., obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension).
• Primary Causes: Sedentary behaviour, high-calorie diets with excess fructose, and insulin resistance.
• Disease Spectrum: It is a progressive condition that can lead to several stages of liver damage.
  • Simple Steatosis: Fat accumulates in the liver without significant inflammation or damage.
  • MASH: Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis causes liver inflammation and cell damage.
  • MetALD: This sub-category includes MASLD patients consuming moderate alcohol, below alcoholic liver disease thresholds.
  • Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: Chronic inflammation leads to scarring (fibrosis). Severe scarring (cirrhosis) can cause liver failure or Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer.
• Symptoms: It is asymptomatic in early stages; advanced stages cause fatigue, right upper abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, and bruising.
• Management Strategy: Sustained 5–10% weight loss reverses early MASLD; Resmetirom is the first FDA-approved medication for non-cirrhotic MASH.
• Monitoring: High-risk groups, especially Type 2 diabetes patients, should be screened with the FIB-4 score or FibroScan.
• Disease Burden: MASLD affects 30–38% of adults worldwide, with prevalence reaching nearly 70% among Type 2 diabetes patients.
• India Burden: India ranks among the top three most affected countries, with a general prevalence of 16–32% and an adult prevalence of 38.6%.

Read More > Fatty Liver Disease

{Prelims – Sports} 6^th Khelo India Winter Games *

• Context (NOA): The 6^th Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG 2026) have begun in Leh, Ladakh.

• It follows a two-leg format, with ice sports in Leh and snow events in Gulmarg.
• New Addition: Figure Skating (an Olympic sport) has been introduced for the first time.

About Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)

• KIWG is an annual national sports event aimed at promoting winter sports and identifying talent for global competitions.
• It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India.
• It is part of the Khelo India Scheme to revive grassroots sports and establish India as a sporting nation.

Read More > Khelo India Youth Games | Khelo Bharat Niti 2025

{Prelims – In News} One Station One Product (OSOP) Scheme

• Context (PIB): One Station One Product (OSOP) scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Railways launched in 2022.

• Objective: To provide market access to local communities and revive traditional crafts losing prominence due to industrial standardisation.
• Implementation: Each railway station has a dedicated outlet for a unique regional product, with stalls uniformly designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
• Target Groups: Artisans, weavers, craftsmen, and Self-Help Groups from marginalised communities.
• Significance: The scheme supports the government’s “Vocal for Local” vision by fostering livelihoods and regional identity.